Are higher priced Fenders really worth it?

[BurtMacklinFBI]

My USA J-bass is absolutely worth every dime. It's no longer my favorite, but it's awesome and I love it.

 

[Pirate Captain]

I have two Tony Franklin sigs (fretless and fretted)...both were worth every single penny I paid for them (and more, really)...the fretted smokes any MIM/MIJ Fender I've ever played, and is close to custom shop level. And the Fretless is pretty much in a class by itself. I'd wager that just about any TF owner on this site will tell you the exact same thing.

 

[thunderkyss]

This leads me to ask: In your opinion, are American Fenders really worth MSRP?

If Fender couldn't sell them they wouldn't make them. It may not make sense to you or me to invest so much in an instrument. Doesn't mean the instrument is not worth what they are asking for.

 

[Camaro69]

Different take for me...

I see the value in the necks, especially the J necks MIA v MIM. The MIA necks are more stable, less prone to a high spot at the #3, or a ski jump. This allows me to get the relief almost dead flat, allowing me the amount of fret buzz I really like

MIM p basses are easier to dial in for me. I think that little extra bit of neck width may help make them more stable, but that's speculative

But I won't buy another MIM J

 

[Deleted member 271037]

The current MIA basses: a big NO for me. Definitely not worth the price in my opinion. My experience with the American Original and American Professional series has been absolutely shocking. Very poor quality control and feels like cheap mass manufactured instruments. I'm sure there are good ones to be found but the list of faults and flaws on my AmPro+AO60s P-basses is something I'd expect to find on $100 instruments. It seems to me that you have to pay for Custom Shop to make sure you get a really nice instrument from Fender these days.

The previous series, (the latest version of the American Standard and AVRIs) were great though! But even those were somewhat overpriced compared to what you get at similar prices from manufacturers like Yamaha or Sandberg.

 

[JW56789]

They can be exceptionally well-built basses.

Whether they are worth it is a question that can only be answered by you, as in 'is it worth it TO YOU' ? After it's all said and done, anything is only worth what someone will step up and put their cash on the table to own.

I will say that once you ease into that price range there are a whole lot of Fender basses that are not made by Fender, since
A) Fender-ish instruments are the bass-du-jour for a lot of guys, and

B) just like the many Harley-Davidson clones, there are lots of Fender clones, which a lot of guys and girls prefer. For others, there is no choice save to buy 'the real thing'.

It's up to you.

 

[Wisebass]

Hi Alex

Welcome to TB!

In your opinion, are American Fenders really worth MSRP?

What would we do without our weekly Fender MI... vs Fender MI... thread?

may the bass be with you

Wise(b)ass

 

[Passinwind]

In your opinion, are American Fenders really worth MSRP?

In my experience nobody pays MSRP for them, so it's pretty much moot.

 

[bobba66]

So worth it.

 

[Tad]

I have two American Fender basses that I bought new, a '14 American Special Precision and a '19 American Professional Jazz.



The American Special was the last Precision that I bought. I am pretty sure that the American Professional will be the last Jazz that I buy.

I absolutely think that they are both worth what I gave for them or I wouldn't have bought them.

 

[Wisebass]

Hi Charlie

n my experience, nobody pays MSRP for them, so it's pretty much moot.

IME at GC or in every other shop, everybody plays RHCP on them


greetings

Wise

 

[PJ Muzikmansky]

Over the course of my bass playing career, I've played six fender basses:

1) 1985 - 2005: 1978 jazz
2) 2007 - 2009: 2000's CIJ '57 RI Precision
3) 2007 - 2010: 2006 CIJ '62 RI Jazz
4) 2009 - 2013: 2009 MIA '62 RI Precision
5) 2013 - present: 2012 American standard jazz
6) 2019: 2015 CS '59 Precision.

I'll rate them hereunder - in order - using the following criteria:

1) 1978 jazz [$650 used in 1985]

A) Construction / fit and finish -3/10
B) Playability - 6/10
C) Tone - 5/10
D) value for money - 6/10
E) Overall score 5/10
​

2) 2006 CIJ '62 RI Jazz [$1200 new in 2007]​

A) Construction / fit and finish - 7/10
B) Playability - 7/10
C) Tone - 6/10
D) value for money - 6/10
E) Overall score 6.5/10​

3) 2000's CIJ '57 RI Precision [$750 used in 2007]​

A) Construction / fit and finish - 6.5/10
B) Playability - 7/10
C) Tone - 6.5/10
D) Value for money - 7/10
E) Overall score 6.5 - 7/10
​

3) 2012 American standard jazz [$1850 new in 2013]​

A) Construction / fit and finish - 7/10

B) Playability - 9/10
C) Tone - 8/10
D) value for money - 8/10
E) Overall score - 8/10
​

4) 2009 MIA '62 RI Precision [$2100 new in 2009]​

A) Construction / fit and finish - 9/10
B) Playability - 9/10
C) Tone - 10/10
D) value for money - 9/10
E) Overall score 9/10
​

5) 2015 CS '59 Precision. [$3400 used in 2019]​

A) Construction / fit and finish 10/10
B) Playability - 10/10
C) Tone - 10/10
D) value for money - 9/10
E) Overall score 9.5/10

​

 

[Leo Thunder]

I see people saying how "great" they can be. No guitar is "great". It's a piece of wood with strings and some electronics. It can be flawed or not but it will never be "great", it can only do the job of making guitar sounds.
It's main qualities will be to have a straight enough neck with regular "level" frets, made out of wood that does not move past the adjustment ability of its truss rod: big deal. This is not rocket science. You can get that from a 150€ Harley Benton too.

Those who think guitars can be "great" are easily moved by fantasies. They want to believe in things and will chase them at high cost. They will call an expensive peculiarity a unique quality and acquiring it will induce self-justified satisfaction. That's all there is to it.

 

[Joybass]

Maybe they are, maybe they are not. Depends on the buyer. The thing is that that has little to do with which bass you like the most. I have 7 basses, and the 'best' and most expensive one (Yamaha BB1025) almost never leaves its bag. My day to day favorites are among the other six (all below the €400 mark).

 

[Andy Daventry]

"Worth" is a very subjective thing. It's a value. There are real reasons MIA Fenders cost what they do, and for many people, what you get with an MIA is worth the price. If people stopped buying them, they'd stop making them. But Fender's extraordinary success is based on giving people what they want rather than what the company thinks they should have. And by and large they succeed.

 

[Andy Daventry]

IMO:
I think the American made ones are more consistent and usually great.
The MIM stuff is really good but not quite as refined and a little less consistent.
Really dislike the non-rolled neck edge of the MIM; is it really that expensive to add this back in?

This is exactly it. It's small things which make a small difference which add up to a better instrument. And yes, if you think that the really expensive thing in bass manufacturing is time, it could well put the price of a MIM above it's optimum point.

 

[Sean Brookes]

Yes and No. You will get better materials and better craftsmanship in a custom shop instrument. It doesn't however always relate to a better tone and/or instrument... Especially once you've set up and modded your 'cheaper' instrument.

You are also paying for the brand, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. You can pick up a leather handbag from most high street shops and at a reasonable price but, there will always be people who want that designer brand £3000 handbag. Is the quality either that much better, or even better at all?

I don't think it matters what price point Fender you go for because I believe they hold their value equal to their model.... So selling on your instrument, the drop in value will be relatively equal in percentage whether it's a player, performer, professional, elite or custom shop. Not an exact and factual statement but, looking around it stands relatively true. Same with handbags... you're cheaper brand or fake one may be just as good but, your designer one will always be more valuable.

Hope that adds to the conversation!

 

[interp]

No. ....wait, uh, yes... no, maybe sometimes... What was the question again?

 

[TubeDood]

The guy who just won Bass Player of the year plays a Mexican fender jazz.

So in that reguard , I feel it's you who defines the ability of the instrument , not the other way around

 

[dab12ax7ef]

I see the value in the necks, especially the J necks MIA v MIM. The MIA necks are more stable, less prone to a high spot at the #3, or a ski jump. This allows me to get the relief almost dead flat, allowing me the amount of fret buzz I really like

This!

The neck is the most important difference IMHO. I'd probably spend the extra to get truss rod at the heal design. Also, the only Fender neck I own without a dead spot is a US made one. And my MIM Jazz necks have some degree of ski jump.